Australian aviation regulator temporarily grounds GippsAero GA8 aircraft

Australian aviation safety regulator CASA has temporarily grounded the operations of small aircraft GippsAero GA8 following the reported crash of one such plane in Sweden last week, in which nine persons were killed.

There are 63 GA8 aircraft registered in Australia out of a world-wide fleet of 228, as per Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

In 2008, Mahindra bought Australia's GippsAero, which makes the eight-seater single-engine GA8 Airvan close to Melbourne.

"The temporary suspension (of GA8) will be for up to 15 days from midnight July 20 to midnight August 3 and affects all GA8 aircraft operating in Australia and all Australian registered GA8 aircraft operating overseas," Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia said in a July 20 notice.

The suspension follows a fatal GA8 aircraft accident on July 14 in Sweden during a skydiving flight, the regulator added.

CASA has temporarily suspended GA8 operations as a precautionary step pending the outcome of further investigation by Swedish and European authorities, it said.

A query sent to Mahindra group on this issue was awaited.

CASA has also written to all National Aviation Authorities which have GA8 aircraft operating in their jurisdiction, advising them that CASA has imposed a 15-day temporary operating suspension on these aircraft, it said, adding it has also been working closely with the Swedish and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

In response to CASA temporarily suspending GA8 operations in Australia, EASA has issued an emergency airworthiness directive to European GA8 aircraft owners and operators to not operate the aeroplane except for ferry flights, as per the notice.

The aircraft type was certified in 2000 by CASA for normal operations, which includes skydiving.